SILVER CITY, N.M. – Currently in a tie for the eighth and final RMAC Tournament spot, the Western New Mexico University women’s basketball team faces another pair of important games this weekend at home against Western State Colorado University and Colorado Mesa University. It will also be Shoot For The Cure each night.
First on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. the Lady Mustangs will host the Lady Mountaineers of Western State. WSCU is 4-17 overall and 3-14 in the RMAC having lost their last 10 games. They are 0-8 away from Gunnison. The Lady Mountaineers average 56.7 points and allow 71.4 per game. They shoot 34.6 percent and allow 40.1 percent.
Jade McIntosh leads the Lady Mountaineers at 12.7 points per game and also hauls in 6.3 rebounds. Ajai Ford is next on the list at 8.1 per contest.
In the earlier meeting in Gunnison WSCU claimed a 75-64 victory. This past weekend they played a pair of close games against Chadron State (70-60) and Black Hills State (55-49).
The next night on Saturday also at 5:30 p.m. will be a meeting with Colorado Mesa. The Lady Mavericks are 17-4 overall and 14-3 in the RMAC, which is currently the top mark in the conference. They are also receiving votes in the latest WBCA Poll. They won their last two games this past weekend against Black Hills State (65-57) and Chadron State (78-60).
CMU averages 67.4 points per game and allows 59.1. They make 40 percent and hold opponents to a 36.6 percent clip. Erin Reichle continues to power the offense averaging 18.8 per game that includes 69 three-pointers. Leanndra Gilbert (9.9) and Shanna Halalilo (9.4) average over nine per game, as Gilbert leads in rebounds at 8.3.
WNMU and CMU had a tough battle earlier this year in Grand Junction in which the Lady Mavericks came away with a 76-66 victory.
The Lady Mustangs are 12-9 overall and 9-8 in the RMAC, both eclipsing last year’s marks. WNMU split this past weekend coming back from a 70-55 setback against Fort Lewis to defeat Adams State, 65-56. WNMU averages 64.2 points per game and allows 59.1. They make 39.3 percent and allow 37.3 percent.
Ashley Mitchell (Fort Defiance, AZ/Window Rock High School) leads the team with 12.8 points per game, Stephanie Moore (Anton, TX/Anton High School) averages 10 per contest. Two other players average over eight per game in RaTanya Newsome (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School) (9.3) and Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani High School) (8.4). Nalani Hernandez (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School) leads the team in rebounds at 7.1 per game. Newsome leads the team in steals (53) and assists (123).
In terms of RMAC rankings, Hernandez is sixth in rebounding and fourth in defensive rebounding (5.4), Moore is second in field goal percentage (55.2), Newsome leads the conference in both assists, steals, seventh in three-point percentage (41.1), seventh in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), and seventh in minutes played (32.4).
When it comes to NCAA stats the Lady Mustangs are still first in three-point defense (23.5) and first in the RMAC, 32nd in assist-to-turnover, which leads the RMAC, 30th in scoring defense, which is second in the RMAC, 23rd in turnover margin at 4.19 and second in the RMAC, 24th in turnovers per game (13.9), which leads the RMAC.
Individually, Newsome is 10th in assists per game (5.9), 36th in steals per game (2.52).
